Oh my god, what the hell is going on?
Georgina almost screamed and hurled herself out the window. The man standing in front of her looked so horrifically disheveled that she couldn’t have imagined it even in her worst nightmares. His body was gaunt, his cheeks sunken, making the sharp lines of his face stand out harshly. His hair was a tangled mess, and a scraggly beard grew wildly without care. He was wearing a suit, but the tie was missing, his shirt was wrinkled all over, the jacket was slung loosely over his arm, and the vest hung completely open.
Despite that appearance, Georgina instinctively assumed he must have come from the office or had just returned from going out. He was wearing a suit, after all—albeit one that looked like it had survived a tornado. Maybe Winston had just gotten back home. That would make sense, considering she’d heard that outside of work hours, he spent all his time looking for Yu-jin. Still, even though she tried to rationalize what she was seeing, she couldn’t believe it. The man standing before her looked nothing like the Winston she once knew—no version of him could ever be like this.
Does Madam Campbell even know? Does she know what kind of state her precious youngest son is in right now?
The thought of the old woman’s icy face sent a chill down Georgina’s spine. I really shouldn’t have come here. Regret surged through her, but it was already too late. There was no turning back now—she had to find a way to escape this situation, no matter what.
As she frantically tried to think of a way out, Winston’s bloodshot eyes locked onto her, and the intensity of his stare made her flinch in terror.
“Uh, h-hi, Winston. Y-you’re… looking well.”
The words tumbled out of Georgina’s mouth in a panic, and one of Winston’s eyebrows twitched. A chilling silence followed. You idiot! She almost slapped herself right then and there, but instead clasped her hands tightly together to stop from making things worse. Hah… She let out an awkward, forced laugh. Thankfully, Winston turned his gaze away from her, clearly annoyed, but for Georgina, it was a small mercy. Whew… She exhaled a tiny sigh of relief—only for Winston to finally speak.
“What do you want.”
His hand reached toward his chest in a habitual motion before dropping back down. Georgina realized immediately that he had been about to reach for a cigarette but gave up. Her father had been a heavy smoker, too, so she recognized the motion of instinctively going for the inner jacket pocket. The way Winston stopped mid-gesture was oddly unsettling, but right now, getting out of here took priority.
“I-I just… wanted to see how you’re doing. Everyone’s really worried.”
This time, her voice only shook slightly—she actually managed to say it relatively smoothly. Forcing herself to smile, she looked up at him. Winston glanced at her and let out a short, dry laugh, as if saying What the hell are you even talking about? Caught off guard, Georgina’s eyes flickered anxiously, as though he’d seen straight through her.
Ahem. She hurriedly cleared her throat and struggled to steady her voice.
“No word from Yu-jin yet?”
“There’s something else you really want to ask.”
Winston abruptly cut her off. Startled again, her shoulders gave a slight jolt. He continued coldly, his voice flat and emotionless.
“You can tell Catherine exactly what you see here. If she’s worried about the company, she can sell off her shares. I don’t care.”
He really means it.
Georgina took another glance over him, head to toe. If no one knew this man was Winston Campbell, no one would ever bother with him. How could someone fall apart this badly? Could he ever recover from this?
As far as Georgina could remember, Winston had always been the picture of perfection—impeccable looks, never a crack in his composure. But now… he looked like a man who had given up on life entirely.
Because of Yu-jin…?
There could be no other reason. The realization that Winston had loved Yu-jin that deeply hit her like a different kind of shock. She’d known about their relationship in the past, but to still hold onto someone like that… even now? And from Winston’s perspective, it wasn’t just heartbreak—it was betrayal on a monumental scale.
“Do you… still love Yu-jin?”
The question slipped out before she could stop herself. Georgina knew all too well that her impulsive nature always led to trouble, but even now, she couldn’t rein it in.
At her sudden question, Winston’s eyes snapped to her.
A flash of gold flared within his violet irises, and a heady, almost intoxicating scent filled the air.
Sweet… too sweet.
Even from where she stood, a fair distance away, Georgina could sense his fury with terrifying clarity. Goosebumps crawled up her arms—no, her whole body felt like it was freezing solid under the weight of his presence.
He remained where he was, eyes locked on his young niece, before finally speaking in a slow, venom-laced voice.
“Do you think I’d let myself be fooled by that whore again?”
He doesn’t know.
Georgina’s heart plummeted. Of course—no one had told him the truth. No one dared to. And even if Yu-jin had tried, Winston wouldn’t have believed him. How could anyone deny what they’d seen with their own eyes?
But still…
“Did it never cross your mind that maybe you were the one who walked right into a trap?”
Ah.
This time, she’d truly messed up.
Georgina slapped her hand over her mouth in a panic, but the damage was done.
Winston was glaring at her, his face twisted into a tight, furious scowl.
***
A heavy silence settled between them.
Georgina’s heart was pounding so hard it felt like it might burst from her chest, and she couldn’t get a hold of herself. The stillness dragged on. Not even a full minute had passed, but time moved so slowly it felt like hours were crawling by.
Then, out of nowhere, Winston let out a short, bitter laugh.
“Georgina, whatever that whore told you—it’s all lies.”
He added coldly, in his usual detached tone.
“I saw it with my own eyes. What he did.”
Of course he did. I know.
Georgina barely managed to swallow the words before they escaped her lips. I have to get out of here. Now. Before I say something else I’ll regret. She scrambled to think of something, anything, to end the conversation, when her eyes landed on the book she’d been holding.
Without thinking, she blurted out the first thing that came to mind.
“Why is this book here? Did you… read it too?”
Forcing Winston’s attention onto the book, she rushed ahead before he could speak.
“It’s so good. Seriously—it’s touching too. I cried when I finished it. It’s the best book I’ve read in ages. It’s a bestseller now, super popular. Everyone’s talking about it lately.”
Winston stared at her with an unreadable expression.
Georgina hurriedly set the book down and gave him an awkward smile.
“I mean… I figured it’s not really your thing, but I was surprised, so… yeah. Uh, I should go now. Take care, okay…?”
She stumbled over her words, rambling through a clumsy goodbye. Winston didn’t respond—he just watched her, as if even acknowledging her farewell would be a waste of his time.
“Okay then! Bye! See you around!”
With that, Georgina bolted down the hallway, her footsteps quick and panicked, as though something were chasing her. Winston stood in place, his brows furrowed, then clicked his tongue and turned away.
Angela’s room was as quiet and chilled as ever.
Closing the door behind him, Winston walked slowly over to the sofa. He dropped into the seat with a heavy thud and pressed a hand to his tired eyes, exhaling deeply. His brain felt like it was melting from exhaustion, but he couldn’t sleep. Even the brief moments of unconsciousness he used to fall into had all but vanished recently. They weren’t real sleep anyway—more like blackouts—but even those hadn’t lasted ten full minutes lately.
The insomnia hadn’t started recently. No, it had begun the day Yu-jin betrayed him. It had clung to him ever since, like it had become a part of his body, tormenting him night after night. As if he’d never truly known deep sleep since the day he was born.
Of course, that wasn’t true. He’d always been active—studying during the day, enjoying every kind of sport, then sleeping soundly at night without even dreaming. That used to be his normal life.
Until Yu-jin came and changed everything.
The endless insomnia, his inability to trust anyone, the way his personality had grown so cynical—it had all started from that day.
How could he ever go back to the way things were, after being betrayed by the person he trusted and loved most?
Even now, whenever he closed his eyes, the memory of that day tormented him.
What made it even more unforgivable… was the fact that Yu-jin had never once sincerely asked for forgiveness.
On the contrary—
The one who had ended up begging and pleading… had been Winston.
Unbelievable.
And to think—Yu-jin had lied to him and then run away.
His jaw clenched tight in rage, and just then, Georgina’s words echoed back in his mind. A dry, bitter smirk crept onto his lips.
Love? Me? Love Yu-jin?
That whore, who left me again?
As if. What a joke.
Georgina was still young—naive enough to ramble about love and feelings like it meant something. And he… well, he had fallen for the illusion too, if only briefly. So what could you expect from a teenage girl?
But it was over now.
He wasn’t going to show mercy anymore.
With his eyes still shut, Winston remained frozen for a beat. Then, slowly, he reached for his phone.
This is enough.
It was time to use his last resort.
“Yes, Mr. Campbell.”
His secretary’s voice answered on the other end, calm and composed.
“Proceed as instructed. Do it now.”
“Understood.”
The secretary replied without hesitation. Winston hung up.
His bloodshot eyes stared into empty space, hard and unwavering.
This dull little game of hide-and-seek… is about to come to an end.
Atleast georgina made it out alive